The Somerset herald. [volume] (Somerset, Pa.) 1870-1936, 1887-05-18
DIAMOND HISTORY.
COMPARATIVELY A MODERN DISCOVERING
RECORD OF THE DIAMOND PRIOR TO
cHRIsT-crRIors FLUCTUATIONS.
II IrS vALUE.

Tavernier asserts, probably with truth,
that no large diamonds were in the mar
ket before the sixteenth sentury. The
first diamonds came from India, espec-
tally Ceylon; the second large supply
from Brazil, which produced them so fast
that the price fell TO 81 a carat, and re-
manned for a long time at about IS a car
at. Ii was probably about that time that
the great royal collections of diamonds
were made.
The collection belonging TO the Sultan
of Turkey, which is probably the finest
in the world, dates prior TO the discovery
of America and undoubtedly came from
Asia. One Turkish Pasha alone left the
empire at his death seven table cloths,
embroidere with diamonds, and sixty
bushels of fine pearls. In the last war
with Russia, in 1878, Turkey borrowed
S30,000,000 from the Ottoman Bank on
the security of crown jewels. The cashier
of the bank was admitted to the treasure
chamber, and was told to help himself
until he had enough to secure his ad-
vances. Il selected enough" said he to
secure the bank against loss in any event;
but the removal of the gems | took made
no gap in the accumulation
The Russians have the largest diamond
in the world, the Orlof, which weighs
1915 carats and forms the apex of the
Russian scepter. The French diamond,
known as the Regent, which was stolen
at the famous robbery eff the crown jew
els lie 1872, and was afterward found in
ditch, is 1876 carats, and was valued at 81,
100000 hundred years ago. Who on
earth would give S2.50O,0o0 for stone
Estimating the value of money at ) per
cent, the owner would spend sl25,000 a
year in loss of interest. The famous
blue diamond, the Sancy, which was
stolen at the same time, has never been
recovered. Perhaps the robber hid it
and died before he thought if safe to dig
it up. Perhaps he was killed and his Sc
cret died with him. At any rate if is
gone. Louis Napoleon invested several
millions in diamonds; it is partly on the
proceeds Of these jewels that his widow
has been supporting herself ever since
his death. The English koh-i-noor is
1921 carats, but it has been so badly cut
The English nobility have always been
lovers of the diamond. When the Duke
of Buckingham was sent TO Paris, to fetch
the future Queen Henrietta, he wore a
suit of clothes valued at S250,0O0. Ii was
made of satin and uncut velvet, set all
over with diamonds, and the diamonds
were purposely so loosely sewn that they
flew off as the Duke walked, and persons
of base degree picked them up and car
ried them off Prince Esterhazy is said
to have exhibited similtr ostentation at a
ball at Almack's.
The gem lover will find no such Jewels
as these in thiscountry. Occasionally, in
the east, one reads of diamond necklace
or diamond parere selling for $4,000.
There was at one time a purse-proud par
venu in the United States Senate who
wore a $4,000 diamond in his shirt front.
Governor Stanford spent $4,000 in dia-
monds at Tiffany's some years ago, and
some of the ladies of San Francisco, whose
Jewel eases the reporter is MT privileged
10 describe, contain gems representing a
sum which would constitute a fortune in
an ordinary family. There are diamond
necklaces here for sale at 81 800 to $500
which would be as effective in ball
room as a string of gems of five times the
size. There is one ring here which con-
tains big diamond weighing four and
half carats and two fair rubies; il is worth
$3.50, and is no doubt cheap at the price.
But who would like to go through life
with the sonbriquet of the Man with the
Ring
1t is curious TO note the fluctuations in
the value Of diamonds. About 800 years
ago they were quoted Mt 225 clrat Fif-
ty wears later we find them selling at
SOS carat A hundred and fifty years
later the supply from Brazil had increas-
ed 50 large that one-carat stones sold for
$40, and shortly afterward at 81 From
this point they rallied at sSl per carat at
the time of the French revolution then,
under the pressure of the supply from ex-
lied French mobiles, they fell again TO
500 During the first sixty or seventy
years of this century they rose steadily,
and twenty years ago they were quoted
at about 500 carat. Now, Mr.. Henry
d. Morse, Of Boston, gives the following
prices of diamonds at the present time:
Stones averaging one-half carat each,
$50 per carat.
Stones averaging three-quarter carat
each, $50 per carat.
Stones averaging one carat each, 500
per carat.
Stones averaging one and one-quarter
carats, each, $40 per carat
Stones averaging one and one-half car
ats each, SIPS per carat
ErttueS H>tfdSinE ciit anu niftt-sfuafttf
carats each, sl45 per carat.
Stones averaging two carats each, sl75
per carat.
In other words, the value Of the gem
increases in the ,eometric..I ratio of It's
weight Four diamonds weighing to-
yefher two csrats ar worth sl20, but one
diamonI weighing lust as much is worth
$3.50. St.ses weighing over two carits
are about the ssme price per CART as two
carat stones; they sh8sld be dearer, but
they are not, simply because t|se demand
for them is limited. If the demand for
diamonds were as imperative as the de-
n.xnd isr -four or beef the omefrical
raio weaio gain come into play, and
live ca al stones souid be valued in the
thoussnds.
Ii , not Ekely hat the diamond of
s..sdersie : &c viii ever be much lower in
value than il is now. In the words Of a
popular writer: Tho diamond i he very